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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · rule · snap · bear · chair · plane · bowl · face

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to click
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chair — a leader
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. face — to confront
  21. rule — government
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com